Announced in February 2012, the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 lens Di VC USD is the latest full-frame, fast aperture standard zoom from the Saitama, Japan-based optical firm and is the first of its type to add VC (Vibration Control) image stabilization. Costing $1299 and available in Canon, Nikon and Sony fittings (the latter albeit without VC) and featuring USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) technology, it’s an obvious alternative to the pricier offerings from the top-names. Could this lens be a contender in the IQ stakes? Read on to find out.

It has been several years since Tamron introduced the high-speed, full-frame SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical [IF] Macro standard zoom for serious amateurs and professionals. In that time the number and popularity of full-frame DSLRs has increased dramatically, in part owing to the debut of video capture but also due to a number of more accessibly priced camera models. In spite of this, both Canon and Nikon have yet to fully address the need for a high-speed standard zoom offering image stabilization for both stills and video.

Priced competitively at $1299, the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD changes all of that as the first, high-speed standard zoom to offer image stabilization. Like its predecessor, the new lens will also appeal to users of APS-C size cameras. Then the range of focal lengths has an effective field of view as a 36-105mm (or 38-112mm on Canon APS-C bodies) in 35mm terms, while retaining the highly prized image stabilization function.

Tamron hasn’t only included stabilization to tempt potential users. It also has an ultrasonic AF motor, weatherproofing and, as a ‘Di’ lens, features advanced anti-reflective coatings and a complex optical design to improve imaging performance with digital sensors. A variant for Sony SLT cameras is also available but as those camera models feature a stabilized sensor, the Alpha mount version lacks the VC function.

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The Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD is distinguished by being the first fast standard zoom for full frame cameras to include optical image stabilization. The fact that it does so in a design that includes a ring-type ultrasonic motor for fast, silent autofocus and a degree of weathersealing (Tamron uses the term 'drip-proof'), all at a significantly lower price than Canon's non-stabilized EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM that was announced around the same time, might lead you to think suspect must be some serious compromise involved in its design. But there isn't.

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Re: Tamron vs Nikon lens comparison

After holiday sales, I got D600 with 24-85mm VR lens and very happy with my choice of full frame DSLR and quality of the lens. Since than I am checking daily your website with hope to get DXOmark scores on that lens on D600 or D3X. There are a lot of those lens used and tested already with conflicting reports from different testing websites on quality of that lens. My friend bought 5D Mark III with 24-70mm 2.8L lens and we went to photo trip together. When we compared and discussed photos from that trip we agreed that overall quality of the equilalent photos is very close. Being an engineer I am waiting for numerical confirmation. I am pretty sure that the scores will be high. I generally agree with your testing results and your test data are are helping me in my future lens selection.

24-70 comparison

Just having difficulty figuring out how the Sony CZ 24-70 scores low compared to these 3? Sharpness is higher than all 3, transmission is in line with both Canon and Nikon, distortion is at the top level along with the Tamron, vignetting it beats all 3, and CA is the same as the Canon (right between the other two). This should put is slightly in front of the pack, but then read about the 'blue bar range' for different FL - ok so here it seems about on par or maybe a little better than the Tamron and Nikon, but not as good as the Canon.

So how does it score a 21 when it exceeds certainly at the very least the Nikon (where it equals or beats it in all metrics) and the Nikon gets a 24 overall score? I know these are tested on different cameras, but how does that effect the weightings?